Dear Reader,
On the eve of the school year I would like to share my impressions on the educational programmes which are held at different museums and sites all year round in the county of Cheshire, UK. I visited some of them in August with my friend David Wright when I was in England. One of them is Stockley farm and the other Norton Priory.

Stockley Farm has been farmed organically (i.e. without using artificial fertilizers or pesticides) since April 1999. It is a modern working dairy farm of 700 acres, set in beautiful Cheshire countryside on the Arley Estate with a herd of 150 black and white Friesian/Holstein1 cows. Visitors can watch them being milked from a viewing gallery alongside the computerized milking parlour2.

The day starts with a Tractor and Trailer ride down to the farm. There are always baby animals for the children to handle and feed such as newborn calves, piglets, goats, lambs, chicks and rabbits. The friendly staff at Stockley are on hand to help the children and tell them about the animals.

There are also rooms where children under the guidance of specialists can be involved in different creative activities like painting different pottery3 animals which can be taken home afterwards.

There are also places for active games, a merry-go-round4 and entertainers who involve children in different quizzes and competitions. It is a wonderful place for the whole family where everyone can find something to his or her liking.

Norton Priory is a unique and enthralling5 place to escape from modern life. This multi-award winning site is an historical gem and a haven6 for wildlife. Friendly staff will help you to discover the 38 acres of beautiful and peaceful gardens and the fascinating museum galleries, telling the story of 850 years of exciting history from medieval Priory to Brook family home.

There is also a re-creation of a medieval Herb7 Garden, as seen on BBC2 TV programme “Hidden Gardens”. There is also a wonderful Walled Garden8 with many varieties of flowers, fruit and vegetables.

For children there is a unique sculpture trail around the gardens, free archaeological and environmental trails and different education programmes for all ages.

Nadezhda

1 Friesian/Holstein – type of black and white cows that produce a lot of milk2 parlour – a name used by some businessmen for the shop or room where they do their business3 pottery – objects such as plates and cups that are made out of clay and baked in an oven so that they become hard: hand-painted pottery - the activity of making pottery4 merry-go-round – a machine with models of animals or vehicles that children ride on as it goes round in a circle5 enthralling – an enthralling activity or event is so interesting or exciting that you give it all your attention6 haven – a place where people or animals can feel safe and happy7 herb – a plant used for adding flavour to food or as a medicine8 Walled Garden – garden with a wall all around it. The wall is usually about 3 or 4 metres high, made of brick which absorbs heat from the sun during the day and then releases it at night, thus maintaining a more even temperature throughout. As well as that the walls provide a support for cordon and half-standard trees around the edges